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Showing results for misidentify. Search instead for misidentified.
Synonyms

misidentify

American  
[mis-ahy-den-tuh-fahy, -i-den-] / ˌmɪs aɪˈdɛn təˌfaɪ, -ɪˈdɛn- /

verb (used with object)

misidentified, misidentifying
  1. to identify incorrectly.


Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of misidentify

First recorded in 1890–95; mis- 1 + identify


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

To talk about the high cost of housing, however, is to misidentify the problem.

From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2025

"We've found that many respondents misidentify a warning as a watch, which means conditions are favorable for a tornado," Armstrong said.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2024

Doa, the former EPA scientist who worked at the agency for three decades, said she had never known the EPA to misidentify a source of pollution in a consent order.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2023

Plus, many people misidentify butterflies, notes Sarabia, so a guide can help you safely spot them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2023

“How could this major airline misidentify a passenger in such a grotesque and negligent way, to cause such harm,” Mr. Lowe said.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 9, 2022

In fact, an entire genus of vertebrate hid there, misidentified, until a CT scanner settled the question.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026

Ebola had previously been seen in the central African Democratic Republic of Congo, not in west Africa and it was initially misidentified as lassa fever, gastroenteritis or cholera.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

May 18, 2026: A headline on this story initially misidentified the island where the fire is burning.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026

One of the claimants, Thompson, was misidentified by LFR.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026

Then, in the 1980s, local divers stumbled upon it but misidentified it as a Dutch merchant ship.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Hill criticised Grok, which is part of Elon Musk's xAI group, for the "chaos" it caused by misidentifying her, and Hampshire police for not publicly confirming she was not involved.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

The research suggests that the brain may be misidentifying internally generated thoughts as sounds coming from the outside world.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 23, 2026

“Silver prices fluctuate, but misidentifying items can cost far more than waiting for a slightly better spot price.”

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 31, 2025

Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok churned out misinformation about Australia's Bondi Beach mass shooting, misidentifying a key figure who saved lives and falsely claiming that a victim staged his injuries, researchers said Tuesday.

From Barron's ● Dec. 16, 2025

She wasn’t getting high on evidence, but she was consistently misidentifying samples, and claimed to have tested substances that she’d never in fact examined.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2023

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